Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Promises

Ok, I did pledge to keep my blog going—but I never promised I would update frequently!  However, my recent half-hearted thoughts about jotting a few thoughts here and there were finally sprung into motion today by a fairly terse request by Gentleman John of Going Gently…and nobody can say no to John Gray.

So, let’s talk about promises, shall we?  Spring is a season full of promise, is it not?  Some of promises kept…

 

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The galliardia has returned once again with its spectacular sunset blooms.

 

…and some not.

 

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They promise storms and rain every day, and it mostly passes us by.

 

For the most part, though, the promises are still just that—promises.  I’m very excited by the garden this year, since it looks so neat and clean right now.  Is there a promise that I can keep the weeds at bay for once?

 

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In the front from the left you see Miss Chef’s parsnips, (which I promised I would not weed, and which promise I have not kept), my three bean plants and the peas.  In back is the garlic, the bolted and flowering radishes and the short carrots.  In the wayback is the broccoli, which has mostly produced small, early-flowering heads.  Still, there are two or three plants which have not formed heads yet, so there is a small promise of better harvests to come.

The peas, which did not flower until this past weekend, are finally showing some promise of a good harvest.

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And it’s about time, because the cherry tomatoes, at least, have been looking promising for almost a month now.  Peas are supposed to come way before tomatoes, so I’ve been a bit baffled by this disorder.  Things seem to be straightening themselves out now, though.

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There are two heavy clusters of green cherry tomatoes, slowly growing in size and still showing no signs of red.  I have faith, though.  No promises that we will be able to harvest them before the dog does.  And the beefsteak tomato, while displaying promising flowers, has yet to set fruit.  Odd, since they live right next to each other in a small bed.

We had a good flowering on the blackberry bush, and while there is quite a bit of fruity promise here…

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…we have yet to protect the berries successfully from the hungry summer birds.  We shall see…maybe this year will be different.

No worries up front, though.  Rising above the now-quiet phlox by the mailbox, Miss Chef’s dramatic lilies are getting ready for their annual show.

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And lurking behind and beside the galliardia is a veritable army of sturdy green stems…

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…which promise to erupt into a small sea of brown-eyed susans.  I don’t believe I actually planted them; they were most certainly spread here from the big patch in the backyard.  They are insistent, invasive little buggers, but their reliability and long blooming season are welcome in the landscape.

And how about a Rosie update? 

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You may remember many moons ago we were struggling to find answers to her inconsistent incontinence.  Well, we’ve ruled out infections, tumors and even Cushing’s disease.  So now she is on a twice-daily “pee pill,” which she gobbles down eagerly after each meal.  The vet is still trying to get the dosage right, so we’ve been going in for blood pressure checks of all things!  For the curious, they do this in a manner similar to human doctors, but the cuff goes around the “shin” of her back leg. 

Rosie is a very good patient and earns lots of praise, petting and treats from the staff.  I think they recognize her name now, and always seem very happy to see her.  I do love it when a new vet tech puts her hands on Rosie for the first time and says “Oh!  How soft!”

Anyway, the pee pills seem to be working, so far.  Very promising, indeed.

As I look forward, the coming weeks promise to be as busy as ever.  Since even the school will be off, I am using a couple of vacation days around the Memorial Day holiday this weekend, to go visit my parents.  The day I return, a young cousin from California—whom I’ve seen only once since he was a wee baby, sitting on my teenage lap—is arriving for a brief stop on his tour up the Atlantic coast with his girlfriend.  If I recall correctly, he is now comfortably over six feet tall, with broad shoulders, so I don’t expect any knee-sitting this time around.  I only wish I weren’t teaching, so I could spend more time catching up. 

And then, in late June, comes another milestone—the 20th reunion of my college graduating class!  Our school—Miami University in Oxford, Ohio—was large enough that I don’t expect to remember most of the class, but four friends and former roommates and I shall be gathering (some with husbands and children in tow) to find out just how old it will make us feel to retrace our footsteps.  I haven’t been back to campus for about 19 years, so it promises to be a shock, as well as a literal walk down memory lane.

Maybe I shall take some photos during all this excitement, and share them with you, eh?  No promises, though!

Oh, and because I would feel that I’m letting you down on an unspoken promise in regards to appetite…here’s a picture of the chicken I roasted on the grill last night.  My first time doing it without Miss Chef’s help, and I have to say—it does taste as good as it looks!

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So, in closing, I promise I will be back…but no telling when!

9 comments:

  1. You made me hungry with your chicken!!!

    Your garden and flowers look great; lucky you. We had snow this morning and they announced freezing tonight and tomorrow night. I don't know how the flower buds will like that...

    Glad the pills are helping Rosie; she's such a nice dog.

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  2. Your garden looks fabulous!
    I was glad to read an update on Rosie.

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  3. Good news on Rosie - she is really a beautiful girl.

    That's a nice looking chicken you grilled - do you use a pan or a spit or some other method?

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    1. I just rubbed it with oil, sprinkled it with salt and put it straight on the grill. I did put the coals on one side and the chicken on the other, so it really browned one side at a time. I turned it around partway through to even it out, and it all worked out beautifully.

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  4. It's lovely to have you back, whenever that happens! And remember, it's YOUR blog, so you're the boss. We can wait until you're feeling inspired!

    Your garden is looking wonderful, and even more lovely is the news about Rosie.

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  5. That did look like a yummy chicken. Extra crispy skin please.

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  6. Tee hee... Nice to have you back xxxx

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  7. First, glad Rosie is doing better. Phew.

    Second-- I'm still totally jealous of your garden. I can almost taste those sweet peas.

    It'll be fun to spend time with your adult cousin... Times really does fly.

    And, have a terrific visit with your folks. Safe travels, jj

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  8. Definitely having garden envy here. I need to get those goats and sheep in a fence so I can have a proper garden again. Groan. I haven't even planted anything yet in my little raised beds. We still had frost last week. Sigh. Glad to hear that Rosie's pee-mail is only being delivered at the right times now. Yay!

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